Thanks for the feedback, Lois! Our favorite brand of instant read thermometer is a thermapen, which is only used to take the dough temperature immediately after the dough is mixed and before it begins to fill up with gas. This way, you don't risk the dough over fermenting. A meat thermometer can often do the trick if it is able to accurately measure temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees. The dough can be divided using a sharp kitchen knife if you don't have a bench knife.

A baking stone would certainly be best for this recipe as it is baked at 475 degrees and most sheet pans will not thrive in this hot of an environment. The high initial heat provided by the baking stone also ensures that the dough is able to get a strong oven spring before the crust sets. For this reason, I would only recommend attempting this recipe using a baking stone and parchment paper. If you don't have a baker's peel you can use the underside of a cookie sheet to as a transferring device, parchment bread and all. Happy baking!

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